Although games involving dice are extremely popular in non-gaming environments, only Craps has been successful in a gaming environment. The game of Craps is offered in nearly all casinos. Craps involves two six-sided dice which are rolled two or more times by a designated player (the “shooter”). The fundamental bet in Craps is known as the “pass” bet. The pass line bet is lost on a first roll (“come-out”) of 2, 3, or 12. Each pass bet wagerer is paid even money on a come out roll of 7 or 11. In either case, the pass bet is resolved and a new wager must begin. Should the shooter's come out roll be a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number is identified as the “point.” Thereafter, the shooter continues to roll the dice until the point is repeated or a seven is rolled, whichever occurs first. If the point is repeated (“making the point”), each pass wagerer is paid even money on their pass bets and a new game begins with the same shooter. If a seven is rolled (“seven-out”) prior to making the point, each pass bet wagerer loses their pass bet and the shooter must relinquish the dice to another participant. Craps also includes a host of additional wager opportunities related to each roll of the dice. For example, players may wager that any number will be rolled on a subsequent roll, bet that the value of each
Several other dice games have been attempted in casinos, but without great, or even moderate, success. One such game is known as “Chuck-a-Luck.” Chuck-a-Luck is a game involving a single roll of three six-sided dice having associated payouts related to one, two, or three of the dice faces showing a selected number from one to six. Another dice game is known as “Under and Over 7.” Under and Over 7 allows players to wager whether the sum of two dice will be less than, more than or equal to seven.
Scarne on Dice, 8th edition and published in 1992, lists many other dice games that are not necessarily played in casinos for wagering purposes, but can be played in a pot-style game where each player contributes an ante and the winners divide the money pot. One such game is known as “Thirty-Six.” Thirty-Six is a blackjack-style game played with multiple rolls of one die. Another game is known as “Poker Dice” wherein the object is to roll five dice to form poker-style hands.
A non-dice game that relies on a target score or total, namely twenty-one (21), is the game of Blackjack. Players seek to draw any number of cards in an effort to reach a card total of not greater than twenty-one while also achieving a score in excess of the dealer's card total. Additional wagering games based on scoring exist in the prior art and are played with cards, dice, or other gaming indicia.
While popular, a significant disadvantage of Craps, for both the casino and player, is that the game is, or at least has the perception of being, complicated. Therefore, new players are reluctant to step up to a Craps table and face embarrassment for not knowing the rules or etiquette of the game. In addition, Craps can be played at a slow pace because of the numerous wagers being made before each roll and subsequently paid after each roll. Such delays are not conducive to generating income for the casino which generates income on a per roll basis.
A disadvantage associated with nearly every other dice game is the poor payback percentages. For example, Chuck-a-Luck has a house advantage of nearly eight (8) percent, and Under and Over 7 has a house advantage in excess of sixteen (16) percent. By contrast, the house advantage on the popular pass bet in Craps is only 1.41%.
The embodiments of the present invention overcome the disadvantages associated with previous dice wagering games.